When You're Gone
by dora06
Summary: Edward and Bella are meant to be. They have the love of a life time, but can their love win the war? How do you continue living when the love of your life is miles from where you are?
1. Prologue

**TITLE:** When You're Gone

**COUPLE**: Edward/Bella

**RATING:** M

**SUMMARY:** Edward and Bella are meant to be. They have the love of a life time, but can their love win the war? How do you continue living when the love of your life is miles from where you are? ALL HUMAN

**DISCLAIMER:** Just want to make clear that I don't own these wonderful characters no matter how much I wish I did.. They all come from the brilliant mind of Stephenie Meyer.

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_Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop.-Anonymous_

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**BPOV**

Edward and I were meant for each other. I knew that from the very first moment. I was working at a book store in downtown Seattle when we first met. I heard the chime on the door ring and I looked up to see Edward walk into my life. Tall with bronze hair and striking emerald eyes. He gave me a croaked smile that made his eyes sparkle, payed for his book, asked me what my name was, said goodbye and left. He repeated this every afternoon, and every afternoon he would ask me a different question. What was my favourite book, author, song, colour, food? This continued for two weeks before he asked me to go to dinner with him. He later told me that he waited so long to ask me out because he was nervous and feared that I would say no. When I asked how he could think that, he simply replied,

"Someone as beautiful you would have to already have someone special in their life. I just didn't want to hear you confirm my worst fear."

I of coursed laughed at him and how could I not, he was perfect. Everywhere we go women see him and flirt with him. Sure I have had my doubts over the years, no that he could be unfaithful to me because I know that will never happen. No, I worry that I am not good enough for him. I am plain old Bella Swan from Forks and he is literally an angel on Earth, but he has always managed to erase those doubts from my mind. He can always erase my fears. Well nearly always.

Our first kiss was a week later and I swear I saw fireworks when his lips touched mine. We dated for a year before he finally asked my to marry him. We were married six months later in the pouring rain with only our closest friends and family watching on.

Edwards sister Alice had been my Maid of Honour and Rosalie, my sister in law was my bridesmaid. Edward had his best friends Jasper, Alice's partner and Emmett, my big brother and Rosalie's husband as his best men. Edwards parents Esme and Carlisle and my father Charlie were also present. That day had been the greatest moment of my twenty year old life.

We were celebrating our two year anniversary when the phone call came with the news I had been dreading. Edward was told the date of which he would be deployed. Three weeks from today and I was powerless to stop my husband from going across the world into a war zone.

This was my greatest fear. How was he going to stop my heart from breaking at the thought of him not coming home? Not coming back to me? He couldn't and that was what scared me the most.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Okay so.... prologue. What do you guys think. I am really excited about this story and I can't wait to get all my ideas down. I will try to post something every few days, at least while I am on holidays. I know how bad it is to keep waiting for a new chapter. Also this story doesn't have a beta so please excuse any spelling mistakes and things like that. If need be I can always fix them if they are really bad.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**I can't improve the story or my writing if you guys don't give me feedback. So please just spare a few minutes to say a few words to me. Thanks**

**Have a great day!**

**Jami oxox**


	2. Chapter 1

**TITLE:** When You're Gone

**COUPLE**: Edward/Bella

**RATING:** M

**SUMMARY:** Edward and Bella are meant to be. They have the love of a life time, but can their love win the war? How do you continue living when the love of your life is miles from where you are? ALL HUMAN

**DISCLAIMER:** Just want to make clear that I don't own these wonderful characters no matter how much I wish I did.. They all come from the brilliant mind of Stephenie Meyer.

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_I always needed time on my own. I never thought I'd need you there when I cry._

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**BPOV**

It was dark by the time I got home. As soon as I pulled into the drive way I knew Edward was up to something. Well actually that was a lie. I had known for a while that Edward was up to something. He loved to spoil me and our wedding anniversary was his perfect excuse.

When I looked up at the house through the windscreen of the car I couldn't see any lights on inside. All I could see was a faint orange glow coming from the dinning room window.

Shaking my head I got out of the car and locked my door. When I turned around I saw my gorgeous husband standing under the light on the porch with a bouquet of freesias. Just like the one I had on our wedding day. It was fitting considering today was our two year anniversary.

As I walked up the path I couldn't help but stare a the man before me. He was the reason I wanted to live my life. Before I met him my life had no meaning. He was so kind and generous, and he made me feel so loved.

When I reached him he flashed me a croaked smile, the kind that were reserved only for me, before he bent down and captured my lips with his. I could feel all of his love behind this kiss and it made my stomach begin to do flips. All to soon it was over and when he pulled away from me I couldn't help but whimper. He chuckled at me as he pulled me into his arms.

"Happy anniversary, love."

"Mmm... and a happy anniversary to you too."

I could feel his body vibrating around me as he laughed and lead me inside.

As soon as we walked through the front door I was hit with the most delicious smell. Edward was making my favourite.

"Seriously, your making pasta. Yummy!"

"Of course, its your favourite." God could I love this man any more?

He handed me a glass of red wine and started steering me towards the living room.

"Now you Mrs. Cullen are going to take a seat and relax while I finish dishing up dinner. Okay?"

I nodded my head and Edward walked out of the room. Fifteen minutes later Edward and I were both seated at the dinning room table talking and laughing. There were candles on the table, which i guess explained why I hadn't been able to see any lights on early. In addition to the candles there were also more flowers, but this time they were red long stemmed roses. There was also some piano music playing softly in the background and I recognised it as the lullaby he had composed for me when we had first met.

Dinner was lovely but all to soon it was over and I was in the kitchen doing the washing up. I had to argue with Edward to be allowed to do the dishes. My argument being that he had cooked dinner for me so I wanted to clean up for him.

I was humming happily and swaying to the music that was still playing when I felt strong arms encircle my waist. I leaned back into him as I finished washing the last plate. All that remained now was the pot that had contained the sauce. I stood up straight and Edward slowly removed his arms, sensing that I wanted to move. I reached the stove and grabbed the pot and turned around a bit to quick. Of course because I was so clumsy I tripped over my own feet. Edward reached for me and I threw my arms forward to stop my fall. Edward managed to grab me before I hit the ground, but not before I managed to throw the sauce that had remained in the pan all over his green dress shirt.

Stepped away from him trying not to laugh.

"Do you thing this is funny?" Edward said trying not to smile.

"No, not at all Edward."

"Really? Cause if I didn't know any better I would say you are trying not to laugh?" He took a step towards me. He had a look it is eyes that was starting to worry me.

"Edward. What are you doing?" I said taking a step back.

"Well Bella, I do believe I am going to make you pay for laughing at me" He took another step.

"But I didn't laugh." I took another step so that the dinning room table was between us.

"Oh but you want to."

"Well you would want to laugh if I had sauce all over the front of me...."

"Oh that does it!" With that he began to chase me around the house.

I was screaming for him to leave me alone while he was chasing me around.

"Come here!"

"No!"

"Awww... Come on Bella.... I just want a hug."

"You stay away from me."

When Edward finally caught up to me, he grabbed me around the waist and we both fell to the floor laughing.

"Edward!"

I looked down into his sparkling emerald eyes and I suddenly became aware of his body under mine. Edward must have noticed to because his eyes started to darken. All over a sudden his lips were on mine and we both moaned as his tongue enter my mouth. He flipped us over so that he was on top and I began to undo the buttons on his shirt. Edward slipped out of his shirt and I ran my fingers up his smooth, muscular chest until I reached his face. I wrapped my arms around his head so that I could twist his hair in between my fingers as our kisses deepened.

"Bella" He whispered in my ear as we broke apart to take a breath.

His body was pressed up against mine and I could feel all of him on me. I wanted him desperately. He reached down and began removing my shirt at an annoyingly slow pace. When his fingers grazed my breasts I let out a deep moan and Edward finished removing my shirt. He was about to remove my bra when the phone started to ring.

"...Edward...." I said between kisses.

"Just let it ring. The answering machine will get it."

I was just about to ignore it when my eyes saw the time. The clock above the phone read ten o'clock. Who would be calling a ten at night. Maybe something was wrong. Suddenly I had a dreadful feeling.

"Edward you need to answer the phone" I said forcefully. Edward saw my concern and stood up. He grabbed the phone off the hook while still looking at me.

"Hello.... Yes.........No thats okay.....And what was the date again... Okay thank-you.... Yes good night." He hung up the phone and looked away from me.

"Who was it?" He didn't answer me.

"Edward," I said my forcibly, standing up to face him. "Who was it on the phone?"

He turned to look at me. He had a tortured expression on his face.

"That was Lieutenant Riley."

"Okay" I already knew what he was going to say next.

"He phoned to tell me when we were being deployed."

I sat down on the couch. This was the news I had been dreading. I knew it would come sooner or later, but I had been hoping for later. We had been living in our own little happy bubble this last couple of years but I knew that that bubble was about to be burst. I took a deep breath before I asked,

"When do you leave?"

He looked down at the ground while he spoke.

"The 9th"

I jumped up from the couch.

"Of September?"

All he did was nod his head. My hand flew to my mouth. I could feel the tears threating to fall.

"Bella. Baby. Come sit back down."

"I um... I just need a minute," and without looking back at him I took off up the stairs and ran into our bedroom. I shut the door before I moved to our bed and collapsed in tears.

I was a terrible wife. I knew that. I shouldn't have taken off like that, but I didn't want Edward to see me cry because he would blame himself. He always did, whether it was his fault that I was upset or not, and this time it was not his fault. It was the Army's.

I knew I was being irrational but they were taking him away from me. The Army were sending him to good knows where in two weeks time. Just two weeks. That was all we had left with each other until who knows when. I couldn't do this. I couldn't by an army wife. I needed Edward here with me. I couldn't come home every night to an empty house. I couldn't go on living day after day without seeing his beautiful face or hearing is melodic voice.

Oh god. What if he didn't come home. How could I live without him.

I was trying not to think these thoughts when I heard the bedroom door open.

"Oh Bella"

Edward came over to the bed and took me into his arms. I buried my head in his shoulder as another wave of sobs broke through me.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry" I cried as he held me tighter.

"Baby, you have nothing to be sorry for. Shhh.... It's going to be okay.... Shh....calm down..." He continued to whisper soothing words into my ear while he rocked both of us backwards and forwards until I calmed down.

When I had finally calmed down to the point where only a few tears were running down my face, he pulled me away from his body so that he could look at me. When I didn't look back, he placed a finger under chin and gently brought my gaze up to meet his.

"Now, talk to me. What's going through that head of yours?"

He had the most pained expression on his face, and I nearly broke down again because I knew I had caused it.

"I am just...."

"Yes?"

"It's two weeks Edward. Thats all. Two weeks."

"I know love. I do. I can't bear to think that in two weeks I won't see you for months. It kills me to think of being away from you."

"Me too."

He looked at me sadly as a tear escaped from his eye and ran down his face.

"Baby, I love you so much that it hurts. I can't imagine my life without you. If I could go back in time and stop myself from walking into the recruitment office then I...."

I shushed him by placing a finger on his lips.

"Edward, I would never ask you to do that. You are serving your country. You are protecting me and your family. Okay?"

"Okay."

I kissed him lovingly and he pulled me down so that we were both laying on the bed. I curled up into his side and placed my hands on his chest.

"Edward, I love you and you being a soldier is a big part of what makes you, you. So please do ever think that again okay? You are doing a good thing."

"Won't love."

He pulled me tighter to his chest and I began to fell tired. All the crying had worn me out. As I was drifting off I heard him whisper to the empty room.

"I will come home to you Bella. I promise."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay so first chapter.... any thoughts???**

**Please review.... even if it is just to say keep going... I really really want feedback...**

**Hope you have a brilliant day**

**Jami oxoxo**


	3. Chapter 2

**TITLE:** When You're Gone

**COUPLE**: Edward/Bella

**RATING:** M

**SUMMARY:** Edward and Bella are meant to be. They have the love of a life time, but can their love win the war? How do you continue living when the love of your life is miles from where you are? ALL HUMAN

**DISCLAIMER:** Just want to make clear that I don't own these wonderful characters no matter how much I wish I did.. They all come from the brilliant mind of Stephenie Meyer.

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_When you walk away, I count the steps that you take._

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**BPOV**

I woke first the next morning with Edward's arms still around me.

I didn't have the heart to wake him when he looked so peaceful. I wouldn't have many more mornings like this before he was gone.

I just laid there in his arms, staring at his face. I didn't want to forget the little things like the way he looked when he slept or the way he would grab the bridge of his nose when he was angry or frustrated and especially the way his eyes would sparkle as soon as I walked into a room.

I began gently tracing the lines of his face with my finger. I ran it from his forehead to his jaw, wanting to memorize his face. Just as I was about to trace his lips, they began to turn up into a smile. I leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn't long before he started to kiss me back.

"Hmmm.... Well isn't that I nice way to wake up in the morning." He said as he slowly opened his eyes to look at me.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"That's okay love. It's probably time to get up anyway."

I sat up one my elbows and looked at the time. It was already nine o'clock, which meant we only had about an hour before we had to leave. The entire family were going to Esme's and Carlisle's for lunch today and it was a couple of hours drive to Forks. The town where we all grew up.

I started to get up out of bed but Edward pulled me back down.

"Ah.. Edward we have to get up.

"Why? Tell me why I can't stay in bed all day with my lovely wife?"

"Well as good as that sounds, did you forget that we are having lunch at your mother's today? We have to be in the car by ten at the latest."

"Oh yeah, I did forget. With everything that happened last night...." He said looking away.

"Honey, I know. It's alright. I do understand."

"Do you think I should tell them today, you know about me leaving? I mean everyone is going to be there."

"Only if you want to Edward. I will support whatever you chose."

"I think I will tell them. You and I will never hear the end of it if Mum and Alice don't find out until I leave."

He smiled but I didn't reach his eyes.

We both got out of bed and Edward went to have a shower while I started breakfast. Over breakfast we discussed the details for the next few weeks.

Edward was leaving for a week long training on the ninth and then he would be deployed overseas five days later. The fourteenth, the day after my twenty third birthday. Even though technically he didn't leave the country until the fourteenth, I wouldn't see him from the ninth onwards. His training was taking place on the other side of the country.

By five to ten both Edward and I were in the car on the way to Forks. We both hadn't been home in quite some time. It wasn't that we didn't want to go home, actually it was the opposite, but between Edward working at the hospital and me working hard both editing books and writing my own, we just didn't have the time. However we did call often so at least we kept in touch. It had been hard for us to make the move to had lived in Forks all his life. He had moved away when he started university.

For me it had been because I needed a change. I moved to Forks during my final year of high school. My mother and father had gotten a divorce when I was little and my mother had taken me with her when she moved away to Phoenix, Arizona. It had always just been me and her until she had died when I was seventeen, of cancer. I was forced to move to Forks, Washington to live with my father. He had come to Phoenix to visit us over the years and we kept in touch through letters when he was away.

Once I graduated I got the job in the book store and I moved up moved to Seattle few days later. Dad and I still see each other from time to time so everything was okay between the two of us. I just needed to be doing something new and moving had provided that for me. Edward and I had never met in Forks when we were both living there. He had been in the class above me at Forks High School and had already graduated by the time I moved there.

At some point during the long drive I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to the sound of my car door opening. Edward had opened it and was kneeling down beside me.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty." He said smiling. He brushed a piece of hair off my face.

"Hey yourself. Sorry I feel asleep on you."

"Love. You had a big night last night. You were tired. It's fine."

"Alright, it's just he drive must have been boring for you though"

He chuckled.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that love. You provided more than enough entertainment."

I buried my face in my hands.

"Oh dear god. What did I say."

"Just that you loved me."

"But you already know that.'

"I still like hearing it though"

I leaned forward so that my head was touching his for head. I looked deep in to his green eyes.

"I love you with my whole heart"

"And will always love you Bella. Forever and a day."

With that he took me hand and helped me out of the car and shut the door behind me. We started walking hand in hand up to the mansion that was the Cullen's house, when the door opened. Standing in the door way were Esme and Carlisle. Esme had Edward's bronze and her eyes were a soft hazel colour. Carlisle looked almost as god like as Edward, but he had blonde hair and hazel eyes. Even though they were both nearing fifty, they didn't look it. Both of them were gorgeous. It wasn't hard to guess where Edward and his sister Alice got their good looks.

Esme came rushing down the steps when she saw us.

"Hey you two. How are you both?" She said as she pulled us both in for hugs.

"We're fine thanks. How are you?"

"Better now I have gotten to see my children" She replied smiling.

Carlisle walked down to met us and pulled Edward into a hug and kissed me on the cheek.

"Come on you guys lets go inside, everybody else is already here."

We all followed Carlisle inside. Once everybody greeted everybody else, lunch was served.

We all caught up on each others lives as we ate. Alice and Jasper had just recently moved into a new home in Seattle, because they needed the extra room. Lydia and Micah, their two year old twins, were soon to become older siblings to a new arrival. Alice had found out she was pregnant threes months earlier. Rose and Emmett were fine as were was my niece, Rhiannon. She was going to be turning four next month, so Rose had been busily planning her birthday party. Esme was still happily working as an interior designer and Carlisle had recently been promoted to Chief of Surgery at Forks Hospital.

It wasn't until after lunch, when we were all sitting down enjoying a coffee (or in my case tea) that Edward told them about him leaving. They took it as well as could be expected. There had been tears and hugs from the girls and hand shakes from the guys. All if the family had promised to be at the airport to see Edward off and to support me.

Before leaving town, Edward and I paid a quick visit to my father and shared our news with him. He told me to let he know if I needed anything and he told Edward to stay safe over there.

We were all wishing for that

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The next two weeks passed in a blur. Edward and I spent a lot of our time just holding each other and telling and the other how much we loved them or we were showing each other our love. In between these times Edward had been packing and making arrangements for when he was gone.

The entire family was gathered at the departing gate on the ninth of September. All the girls where in tears again. I however was yet to shed a tear. I hadn't cried since our anniversary. I just stood, staring out the window at all the planes while Edward said goodbye to his family.

I was deep in thought when I felt his arms move around my waist. I turned in his arms and looked for everyone else. I couldn't see them anywhere.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"They wanted to give some time."

"How long until you have to go?"

"A few minutes."

I buried my head into his chest and gripped him tightly. His arms were pulling me closer towards him as well.

"I don't want to say goodbye."

"Then don't Bella. Don't say goodbye."

So I didn't. I pulled his face to mine and began kissing him passionately when I heard his flight being called.

_"Flight 547. Final call for flight 547."_

"Love. I have to go."

"I know. Edward, I love you so much. Know that and please stay safe."

"Bella, I love you more than anything okay. I'll see you soon."

"Alright."

He gave me one final kiss before he picked up his green bag and walked away in his army uniform to the boarding gate. He handed over his ticket and gave me one last final look. I blew him a kiss and Edward mouthed '_I love you' _before he turned and walked down the tunnel that led to the plane.

As a watched him walk away I felt the walls I had been building over the last two weeks start to crumble down. I hadn't wanted him to see me cry. I knew that it would only make it harder for him to leave. So I was glad that the tears didn't start to fall until his plane was in the air.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Okay so this was a little Easter pressie from me to you lol :)**

**Hope you all had a fantastic Easter and Easter Bunny paid you a little visit.**

**Please Review... Ideas, Feedback, Suggestions... anything- something would be nice.**

**Jami oxox**

**P.S- sorry if there are any huge mistakes... i just wanted to get this chapter up and done!**


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